Posts tagged abortion

Our Daily Digest is a lunchtime look at the stories we have our eyes on at the Capitol and beyond. Here’s what we are watching today:

Hundreds of bills are in a race against the clock as a major deadline looms in the House. Midnight Thursday is the deadline for House bills to get their first vote by the full chamber. Anything that doesn’t come up for a vote is considered dead, unless they are tacked onto other bills as amendments to other legislation.

Lawmakers have been using stall tactics all week, through parliamentary procedure, to slow down debate and keep bills they oppose from coming to the floor for a debate. There are several key bills that have yet to be brought, including a key conservative push to undercut a Supreme Court ruling if it decides in favor of legalizing gay marriage. The bill would prohibit state, county and local officials from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Other high-profile bills include the school finance reform plan, and legislation that would decriminalize or even legalize marijuana.

People on both sides of the reproductive rights issue are still reacting to a controversial abortion-related bill approved by the House last night. House Bill 3994 got the preliminary OK on a 98-47 vote Wednesday and then final approval Thursday morning. The bill changes state law regarding judicial bypass, which allows minors to get a court-ordered abortion if they can’t get parental permission due to extreme cases like parental abuse. It would limit where minors could apply for those orders, and would require more tangible evidence they face possible abuse. Statewide, about 300 teens are granted these orders per year, but another portion of the bill would have a much larger impact. It would require doctors to assume all pregnant women are minors unless they can prove otherwise with a government-issued ID. Critics say this creates a de facto ID requirement that would disproportionately affect the poor, minorities and undocumented immigrants, much like the voter ID law. Several amendments to weaken and delay the bill were shot down by supporters who say they’re trying to help protect women and the health of the fetus. The bill is now headed to the Senate.

Finally, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development is hearing public testimony today on a bill aimed at preventing another deadly explosion like the one in West, Texas two years ago. House Bill 942 would create a statewide regulation on the storage of ammonium nitrate — a common but highly flammable ingredient in fertilizer — including changes in storage and inspection protocols. The West fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 people and injured more than 200 others back in 2013.

For more on all of these stories, check out tonight’s episode of “Capital Tonight.” On our show tonight, we take a look at the state’s changing economy — this week’s theme here on Time Warner Cable News as part of our month-long series, “New Texas.” Our guest will be Erica Grieder, senior editor at Texas Monthly and former correspondent for the Economist, who also wrote a book that considers what America can learn from Texas. She’ll give her thoughts on the so-called “Texas Miracle,”and what the economic future may hold. Plus, political strategists Harold Cook and Ted Delisi will join us with their observations of activity at the Capitol. Tune in tonight at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Time Warner Cable News.

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Capital Tonight airs live every night at 7 p.m. with a replay at 11 p.m.